Dr. Joan Thomas, Associate Professor of the Loewenberg School of Nursing has received a HRSA grant for $787,696.00 for three years to prepare future nurse executives. This awarded grant is one of the largest HRSA grants received at the U o M!

The HRSA grant certainly helps the LSON’s Executive MSN program. Specific purposes of this funded project are to:

• Educate a diverse nursing leadership workforce from minority, educationally disadvantaged, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds;
• Assure quality of care by improving the knowledge, skills, competencies and outcomes of the nursing leadership workforce;
• Support the objectives of Healthy People 2010 by assisting students to achieve American Organization of Nurse Executive (AONE) competencies related to clinical practice knowledge in the course Improving Patient Care Delivery.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Thomas for receiving this highly competitive federal grant. We thank her for showcasing concerted efforts toward easing the shortage of executive nurse leaders regionally and nationally.

Lin Zhan, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor
Loewenberg School of Nursing University of Memphis